Submarine mine.



E. E. ELIA.

vSUBMARINE MINE. APPucmoN mtu fE-a.' 23. ,1911.

' 'Patented Ma,y 15,1917.

GI'VN'NI EMANUELE ELIA, 9F WESTMNSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, y.ASSIGNOJR TO VICXEES LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

SUBMARINE Minn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Application filed February 23, 1917. :Serial No. 150,435.

connected to a tension member which is ifs placed under tension prior to the launching of the mine to hold the said device in its retaining or safety position and which is also arranged within the mine casing. The sea water and substances suspended therein are thus prevented from gaining access to the said device and the tension member.

The said tension member is preferably in the form of a cable which may be supported upon a number of loose pulleys arranged in two horizontal rows on the inner surface of the mine casing; one of theserows may be situated at or near the upper part of the mine casing and the other at or near the portion of the mine having 'the largest diameter, the tension cable being passed over leach pulley in the upper row and under each pulley in the lower row, so that the said cable is stretched in an undulating or sinuous manner along the inner surface of the. mine casing. When a ship strikes the l mine the tension on the said tension cable is relieved by the explosion of one or more of a number of small powder charges arranged around the mine contiguous to some or all of thel pulleys, thus permitting the retaining device "tro be displaced and the mine fired. In an alternative arrangement I provide means whereby the tension on the internally arranged tension member 1s relieved 'mechanically when a ship strikes the mine. For this purpose when the tension member Ais'in the .form of a cable passing sinuously over a number of pulleys arranged within 'the mine casing, the nins on which '.thepulleys are loosely mounted are subject to the influence of springs which tend to move the pins inwardly independently of the pulleys so as to liberate the latter and thus relieve the tension on the cable. Thls movement of the pins is prevented by devices arranged on the outside of the mine casing, these devices being of such a character that when the mine is vstruck by a ship they willbe displaced to permit the pms to be disengaged from the pulleys by their springs. The said means for mechanically relieving the tension on` the cable when a ship strikesthe-mine may, in another construct1on comprlse a sprlng con-v trolled member which is normally housed within the mine casing and is held in its inward 'or housed position by a plug of salammoniac or other soluble salt so that after the mine'has been launched and has been in the water for a predeterminedv length of time, the plug of salt will be dissolved and the spring controlled member will be caused by its spring to protrude from the surface of the mine casing. i

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood, and readily carried into effect, the same will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which1- Figure l is a side elevation of a mine pro-v vided with a constructional form of the improvements.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing one constructional form of the means employed for relieving the tension on the 'tension member. y

Fig.v 3' is a vertical section showing the 'preferred form of the aforesaid-retaining or safety device in its retaining or safety position.

Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line l, 1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but snowing the retaining or safety device in its releasing or firing position, the mine being on the pzint of being fired.

Fig. 6 1s a section taken approximately on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the parts in the position theyl occupy when the striker of the firing gear has been impelled by its spring to fire the mine.

Fig. 8 is a section of a constructional form of tlie means employed for mechanically relieving the tension on the tension member, and l Fig. 9 is a view similar t`o Fig.- 8 showing another constructional form of the means for mechanically relieving the 'tension on the tension member.

Patented. May i5, reir.

joint so that I larly displaced from the disk,

A is the mine casing. 'B is the tension cable and b, b are the pulleys around which the said cable is stretched in a sinuous manner. (l is the retaining or safety device to which the tension cable B is connected. D is the striker head, D the striker stem ,and

' D2 the anchor cable connecting the said stem to the anchor of the mine.

In the example shown the retaining or safety device G is in the form of a disk or plate controlled by a exerts a pull on the disk C. in the opposite direction to the pull'of the tension cable B. The disk is mounted so as to be capable of angular movement about the axis of the striker stem D', and is lso formed in relation to a collar cZ- on the striker stem D that the said disk and collar constitute a vbayonet when the disk C is displaced by the spring C into '.the posi-tion shown by Fig. 6 When the tension on the tension cable B is relieved-the disk lwill become liberated from the collar d; the upward pull' or buoyancy of the mine will then cause the mine to be fired as is well understood. To prevent the collar d from becoming anguthe mine casl ing is provided with a stud a engaging in -a hole d2 in a ilange onthe saidcollar. rl`he 'striker head D is detachably connected to the' striker stem D in such a manner that the head becomes liberated from the stem after the mine has' risen under the influence of its buoyancy -a predetermined ex-A tent in relation to the striker stem. For this purpose, as is we ll understood, the striker head may be connected to the striker stem by one or more shear pins or by pins which move with the head and the stem into' such a position that they are automatically displaced to disconnect the head from 'the stem.

In the example shown the means for relieving tension cable B comprise al number of wheels E each of which is connected to sleeve E carrying one element c of a bayonet joint connection, the other element e of r which is constituted by part of a spring controlled striker E2 slidably mounted within a .tube e2 containing a percussion cap e3 and a powder charge E3. In order lto prevent sea water `from entering between the sleeve E and the tube' e2, a rubber or other suitable collar e" is connected to each of these parts. The end of the sleeve contiguous to this rubber-collar may be cut away to form an inclined surface upon which the said collar bears under the pressure of the A suitable catch held by a ing angular movement of the sleeve until a certain time has elapsed after launching the` mine. his catch is controlled by a s rino C which ,with the wheels. )charges is situated contiguous to one of the 'upper-` pulleys b so that the force of the exso the influence of its spring L" `cable relieved.

by Figs. 1 anda the tension on theA are situated around the mine near the upper" part thereof with the sleeves E verticallyao disposed; the wheels E o n the upper ends thereof are of such diameter that their'outer Vportions extend beyond the portion of the mine casing having the greatest diameter. In this manner the wheels will be angular-ly' 7 displaced and the powder charges exploded by the contact of the side of a moving ship -Each of these powder plosion breaks the pulleys away from the mine casing and may also break the tension cable B. In either case the tension on the said cable,- is relieved to permit the spring C to displace the disk C andliberate the firing gear in the manner set forth above.

In the `example 4shown by Fig. 8, 'themeans for relieving the tension .on the tension cable B comprise a block F connected to the outer projecting end of the' movable 90 pulley pin- B by a breakable screw f. hen a ship strikesthe mine, the consequent rotation of the latter brings the block F forcibly against the side of the ship and causes the breakablescrew to be fractured. The pin B is then free to move inward under.

until it becomes clear of the pulleyfB. The latteris then unsupported and the tension on they The outerA end of the pin passes through a suitable watertight packing F carried by the -mine casing. The block F isv normally protected by a cover plate F2 which is held in its closed position prior. to the launching `of the mine by 105 a suitable device comprising a 4sal-ammoniac y or other soluble salt plug f?. This device comprises a retaining` pin F3 carried by a bracket on the mine casing and engaging with partV of the plate F2. The Aretaining pin F3 is held in its engaging position againstv the opposition of a spring f3 by the said plug of sal-amlnoniac or other soluble salt. The plate F2 is pivoted and is moved about its pivot pin 7'* to uncover the 115 aforesaid block, by a helical torsion spring f5 interposed between the pivot pin and the plate.

In Fig. 9, G is the aforesaid sp1-ing controlled member which is in the form of a plunger normally housed as shown. within the mine casing A. g is the plug of sal-ammoniac or other soluble salt for holding the said plungerin its housed position prior to the launching' of the mine. This plug is in- 1K5 terposed between a collar on the plunger G and a. number of hook shaped members (of which one is indicated by gx) detacliably connected to a sleeve G within which the .as-posltion in which it protrudes from. the

surface of the mine casing. Thesaid sleeve G carriesa. spring controlled catch or pawl.

g having a. nose gX adapted to engage in a hole g2 in theplunger GA when the latter reachesits fully protruding position. rlhe nose of this catch is disposed in a keyivay G2 `formed in the plunger and the said nose is thereby guided into the hole. The inner end of the sleeve is connected by a brittle steel-'pin j toa rod g3 carorying a collar G3 which engages with a pivoted hook G4 upon which the pulley 'b carrying the tension cable B is mounted. This collar is controlled by a spring g so that when the pin f is broken by the impact of a ship with the protruding plunger the* said spring displaces the colla-r into a position to release the aforesaid hook; the pulley Z) is therefore no longer supported andthe tension on the tension cable is relieved so that the mine is free to'be iredby the upward movement of the mine due to its buoyancy as aforesaid. The plunger G and the sleeve G are carried Within a casing G5 the outer portion of which is normally closed by a screw threaded c'ap g5; this cap prior to the launching of the mine -prevents Water or moisture from coming into contact with the'plug g and also protects the plunger against blows that might fracture the aforesaid brittle pin; the said cap is removed when the mine is about to be launched.

' What I claim and desire to secure by Letvters Patent o f the United States is l. Submarine mine firing gear comprising incombination -a retaining device for normally holding said gear inoperative, said device being arranged Vithin the mine casing, a tension member arranged within the mine casing and connected to said device, and means for relieving the tension on said membei', when a ship strikes the mine, to releasesaid. retaining device.

2,- Asubmarine mine comprising'the com- 'a'tion of a mine casing, firing gear for the 1ie,'."aretaining device located Within the casing for holding the 4firing gear inopera- 'tivepa plurality of supports Within the casing, a flexible member positioned by the sup# aforesaid brittle.

casing andv ports and connectedto the retaining device,v and meansA ship with the mine for displacingA one o1' more of the supports, so that'the liexible member Will n o longer prevent movement ot' the retaining device.

3. Submarine mine firing gear comprising in combination a Vretaining device for normally holding said gear inoperative, said device being arranged within the mine casing, a tension member arranged within the mine casing and connected to said device, and means for mechanically relieving the tension on said member, when a ship strikes the mine, to release said retaining device.

' 4. Submarine mine firing gear comprising in combination a retaining device for nor-4 mallyholding said gear inoperative, said device being arranged within the mine casing, a tension Cable arranged within the mine casing vand connected to said device, a pulley by which said cable is supported, said pulley being normally connected to the mine -casing and means for disconnecting said pulley from the mine casingivhen ship strikes the mine.

5. Submarine mine firing gear'comprising in combination a retaining device for normally holding said gear inoperative, said device being arranged within the mine casing. a tension cable arranged within the mine connected to said device, a pull ley by which said cable is supported, a spring controlled pin by `which said pulley is normally supported on the lnine casing and means for liberating said pin when a ship strikes the mine, for enabling the spring` oi the pin to displace the pin and disconnect the pulley Jfrom the mine casing.

6. Submarine mine firing. gear comprising" in combination a retaining device Jr'or normally holding said gear inoperative, said device being' arranged within the mine casing, a tension member arranged lwithin the mine casing and connected to said device, means .for relieving the tension on said member,y when a ship strikes the mine, to release said retaining device, said means comprising av spring controlled member which t is held prior to the immersion of the mine in a housed position within the mine casing.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA. V

operated by engagement of a-'-;-f 

